The Assignment
by Serenity Ma Sogni
Summary: Alfred caught me as I crumpled to the ground; he wrapped his arms around my shoulder and wept. I just stared ahead in utter shock. Alfred was crying and whispering my name; rocking us back and forth and I tried to come to terms with my assignment, only to fall back into the shock and despair that now gripped my heart. I read the words incessantly, Gilbert Beilschmidt. /PruCan, AU
1. Chapter 1

I threw punch after punch, each strike made the blood seep through the bandages on my wrists more. I winced, trying so hard not to let the pain show on my face and keep my attacks accurate. We had been at it for a long time, two hours at my estimation and we were both getting tired.

"You are slipping up." I heard him mumble, and I dropped low, narrowly avoiding being kicked to the ground by his leg.

"Control your face!" He snarled and I tightened every muscle in my face, making my eyes narrow and completely expressionless. I analyzed his stance after each attack, preparing myself for the next one. Each facial expression he displayed meant something different, each glance or shift of gaze was another clue that would assist me.

Sweat poured down my forehead and neck, beading and rolling down my back as I clenched my hand. It was getting increasingly harder to focus when my fingers were slipping from the amount of blood that had wet my hand.

I switched from using my hands and threw my leg as quickly as I could, hoping to catch him off guard. He caught my leg mid air and threw me to the ground. My shirtless chest hit the ground with a wet and painful smack.

I was on my feet within seconds and scooting backwards, dodging kicks and low punches.

I dove to the side and threw my fist into his ribs, which, to my immense frustration, did absolutely nothing.

I almost crawled around him, looking for an opening as he attacked repeatedly. One of my best assets was the ability to not be hit. I could dodge almost anything he could throw. Attacking was where I lacked skill.

"Hit me." He growled. "Don't run away like a child."

I wasn't stupid; I knew he was baiting me. If I were Alfred I would have jumped into action immediately fists flying, but I waited and dodged. I had to find an opening, I dodged and ducked watching him so closely he began to look nervous and I saw my chance. I lunged forward and punched him swiftly in the stomach.

Arthur fell to the ground.

"Little shite." He muttered and coughed, picking himself up quickly from the ground. "That was a good strike, took you long enough though. You are too slow, if I had a gun you would be dead."

I stayed silent, telling him mentally that if it were I that had the gun he would have been dead before he could bat an eye. His emerald eyes trained on me for a second then shifted away quickly, looking towards the door.

"Your fingers were slipping, when you are injured you need to focus on reserving your energy and only using the injured limb when absolutely necessary, even if it hurts you need to be able to control your facial expressions. If you show weakness you are already marking yourself for death."

He eyed my bloody wrists, four slashes running across the expanse of my pale skin. Sweat mixed in with the blood and ran into the wounds, making it sting dully.

"You had better get that cleaned up before it gets infected, he nodded towards my wrists. "Do you know why you have more than Alfred?" He called softly and I eyed him warily before shaking my head.

"I believe you can be better than the best Matthew, and pain is something you are going to be feeling quite often soon. It is going to be part of your life for a very long time."

I nodded then walked stiffly out of the circle drawn into the hard wood floor that marked the expanse we had been fighting in, thinking about what he said. I passed Alfred almost immediately after the door opened, and he caught my shoulder before I could move any further.

"How'd you do?" He asked, then winced as his wrist brushed against my skin, leaving a bit of blood behind.

"I have no idea why he said we had to do this, it fucking hurts." He said as he examined the two cuts with a scowl. I wanted to tell him, I really did, but I knew how badly Alfred would fare in this lesson as he had very low pain tolerance. He needed to figure this out for himself.

I watched as he squared his shoulders, pointing his shoes neatly towards the door and stepping into the training room, envious of how naïvely confident he was. I doubt anything could shake someone so strong willed.

That was what made Alfred better than me. No matter what Arthur said, I knew I would never amount to much, I was forgotten most of the time, my existence would be completely unmissed if I were to disappear, but I had no where to go.

I walked the many hallways that twined in a complex maze around the building, passing doors of every shape, size, and colour. I realized with a start how loudly my footsteps where with each step; my bare feet slapped against the banal white flooring.

I stopped, letting my head hang and shoulders slump and I leaned on the wall next to me. My fingertips felt heavy and my cuts throbbed, my head hurt and I had floor burns on my back. My heels ached and I rose to stand on the pads of my feet, not letting them touch the ground. I walked like that to the infirmary, yet another door in a sea of other doors.

I didn't make another sound; it drove me mad to hear the bustle of life that burst when I entered the room. People mulled about, not sparing me a glance, they wouldn't have even if they had noticed someone come in.

I was just that way, unnoticeable.

I watched as a small trail of blood made a drop of red land on the floor after leaving my finger, staining the pristine blankness the floor possessed. Clicks of heels and shoes on the floor, murmurs of conversation, laughter and louder voices reverberated in the room and I resisted the urge to cover my ears.

I stepped forward, letting myself sink back down to walk normally again, towards one of the nurses that bustled around. I touched her shoulder lightly and she jumped, spun around with her hand to her throat in surprise.

I watched in fascination as her dilated pupils sunk back to their normal size as she recognized the intricate tattoo branded into the skin of my bare shoulder. Her eyes flashed upwards and she smiled at me. I noted the larger expanse of the left side of the smile in contrast to the right and how her feet angled away from me. She was obviously uncomfortable in my presence.

She guided me without touching me to the bed where I immediately sat down, she looked down at me and I noticed her slight change in posture, she stood a bit taller, she lifted her head a bit more to look down at me. She had felt intimidated by me and my lowering to a level below her had eased her mind some.

"What can I do for you?" She asked in an overly happy voice, she glanced to the left towards the other nurses at the bed beside us. I noted the increase of blinking rate.

I held up my bloody arm and her eyes locked on the wounds, her eyebrows scrunching in disgust as she assed the damage. I quickly concluded that she was a new addition; otherwise she would have been more than accustomed to such sights. The nurse she was glancing at must be her superior as she glanced at her again.

"Right, I can help you with that." She said then hurried off in the opposite direction. I didn't bother looking around the rest of the room, only focusing on tracking the nurse's progress in the retrieval of essential medical utensils. When she started digging in a drawer across the room I looked down to see the blood from the cuts rapidly staining the covers on the bed. I was losing too much blood; that was obvious, I wondered if the nurse had even registered the fact I needed stitches.

The nurse came back to the bed, her gaze moving to and from me rapidly.

"I need stitches." I said quietly, and she jumped again, frightened by the sudden speech.

Her eyes roamed down to the wounds and widened a bit when she saw the amount of blood.

"Yes I suppose you do/" She murmured, almost to herself. She looked to her superior, who finally noticed to both our relief and curried over to see what was going on. My head was feeling a bit light, any more activity and I would surely be indisposed.

I mentally scolded myself for acting so weakly, and for being so stupid as to waste energy on analyzing the nurse attending to me. It was habitual though, as I begun my analysis on the superior nurse.

This woman had her shoulder drawn back and her back was ramrod straight, she walked with purpose and presence, when she came to a stop a few feet from my bed she brought her arms behind herself and her legs were spread apart at a stance.

"What is it you need?" She asked, unlike what the other nurse had asked 'what can I do for you?' she asserted dominance and exuded the aura of control. She was of British descent unlike the first nurse who was very clearly American. I almost compared her with Alfred and how very American he acted but decided against it, I was already fighting off the need to fall into black slumber.

"Ma'am, I believe I can not lose any more blood. I am feeling the affects of blood loss and fighting unconsciousness. I need stitches and maybe a transfusion though I would like to lose consciousness in my quarters if possible, I would rather not be in such a vulnerable position." She nodded professionally and turned to the other nurse.

"Have you readies the supplies for stitches?" Her gaze was penetrating and any confidence from asserting dominance over me had already left as she stood in a completely submissive stance. She looked up at the nurse from a lowered gaze and shook her head in denial.

"No ma'am, I will do that right away." She scurried off to the place where she had disappeared before, looking for supplies. My vision blurred for a few seconds and I blinked slowly, not wanting to let the authoritative and experienced nurse analyze the extent of my condition fully; this was- in a way- part of my training.

The younger nurse returned with the supplies and her superior quickly took them from her, giving me a short apologetic glance. I was surprised by the look, I would have expected this woman to remain impassive to the task. By displaying her sympathy she was reaching out in an emotional level, whether or not she was trying to convey her apologies for the discombobulated nurse or the act of sewing my cuts together was yet to be determined.

She administered the Lidocaine around the wounds, making my arm burn then numb rapidly then got out the small plier-like tool that would help her stitch the flesh together.

The process was done quickly and efficiently, and I watched the entire thing, committing it to memory in case I would ever need it again. She wiped away the excess blood and brought the needle of the I.V. to a vein on the inside of my elbow, which the other nurse had fetched at some point during the stitching. I couldn't help but notice the look of absolute horror she had plastered to her face as she watched and only wonder what she would have to face later in her career.

"This will replace the blood you lost during your training and the time afterward and prevent anemia, but your superior was overly ambitious in the extent of your injuries. You are one of the better ones otherwise Arthur wouldn't have chosen such an extreme amount to endure but a human body can only take so much.

I commend you for your bravery and cool head in this process; I know you have restrained the effects for quite some time."

I didn't nod nor accept her praise, I only watched her as she took a moment to examine my features.

She nodded to herself once then strode away, looking for other places to lend her expertise. I would have to remember this nurse, and the fact that she knew my superior my first name.

The less inexperienced nurse stepped forward, her gaze lingering uncertainly on me.

"Do you mind-" she hesitated, "do you mind my asking how you got those cuts?" She finished, and looked down quickly, pink staining her cheeks.

"For my training we had to be cut, fight and ultimately defeat an opponent without showing any pain on our face. I received four cuts to my wrist while the others got two. I also had to face my superior while the others had to oppose each other."

"Did you win?" She asked excitedly, her eyes widening.

"After a few hours, yes." I said, not looking at her but knowing she looked shocked. It was abnormal for a person to last so long whilst injured.

"What else did you expect? You remember where you are yes?" I looked back to see her nodding slowly, her gaze wandering to the door.

"You can leave." I said, and watched her relax, moving towards the door her entire posture was pleading for. She was even leaning in that direction for god's sake.

I watched the blood enter my body and ran through the different techniques of computer hacking and the art of being a technician. You never knew what it was you needed when training to be an assassin.


	2. Chapter 2

"Fuck!" I jumped at the exclamation, immediately curling into a defensive position before my brain could even catch up with the situation. I pinpointed the area the voice came from, gauging the distance between myself and the point of origin and making a plan of escape before I heard the door slam.

Oh. It was Alfred. I leaned silently over and flicked the light that was sitting atop the bedside table on, basking the room in a dull orange. Alfred leaned against the wall; his shoulders hunched inwards and his eyes shut. His eyebrows were pulled together and I could see the beginnings of dark bruises forming on his body. A particularly dark one had already stained his cheek.

"You lost then?" I asked and he jumped, his legs spreading apart and fists flying up before he recognized me sitting on my bed. He relaxed and let his head hang, his posture slumping once again.

"You have no idea. That fucking Yao guy's a dick."

I searched Alfred for any further injuries, and noted the new bandages on his wrist.

"How did you perform in the lesson?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"I couldn't fucking do it, every time I threw one punch my whole arm felt like it would combust. I had to avoid being hit by the Chinese fucker, control my facial expression, ignore the British asshole, and win? Ya, no chance in hell." He puffed out a breath and flopped onto his bed across from mine.

"I wish I could have done it though, I feel like there is so much pressure on me. They didn't really train us for this back when we were kids eh?" He chuckled cynically while I watched.

"Wow man you must be really out of it, you aren't analyzing me at all." He leaned forward and studied my eyes smirking a little. "How'd you do?"

"Won." I mumbled and turned away, waiting for his reaction.

"You what?"

"I won." I said and he huffed out a hard breath.

"You won." He repeated, his voice slightly higher. "Of course you won."

He looked away, head bending down and shoulders slumping. He sucked in a breath and straightened, looking me in the eye.

"What was your damage?" I wished I didn't have to tell him, I knew where this conversation was going and I knew he wouldn't take it well. I willed myself not to shift or sow any obvious signs of discomfort. Alfred has some abilities in reading behaviour but they weren't the best, sometimes you had to be careful around him.

"Stitches and a transfusion." I almost whispered and his eyes flicked to my body, looking for the damage.

"Damn, where?"

I lifted my thickly wrapped wrist and showed it to him, watching his eyes narrow and jaw clench. He pursed his lips and looked down at my wrist.

"Did they cut you too deeply?" I grimaced and shook my head.

His eyebrows crumpled in confusion and he shifted, leaning forward a bit.

"Why did you need a transfusion? The stitches?" His gaze flicked back towards my wrist then back to my face, looking in my eyes. He was genuinely concerned.

"I got more cuts than everyone else, I got four while you all got two." Alfred's face skewed up and his hands clenched into fists.

"How is that fair? How is that fucking fair?" He slammed his fists down into the sheets of his bed, his eyes flashed back to mine.

"And you trained with Arthur right? You trained with the goddamn teacher and _won. _Jesus Christ." He whispered.

"I am going to get killed aren't I?" He let himself fall back onto his bed with an audible flop. "Don't analyze this, but really, I am gonna get killed aren't I? On my first assignment I am going to pull some dumb shit and get myself killed." He laughed and I stood up from my bed and moved to his, sitting down next to him without looking at him.

"We have been in this place for our whole lives Alfred." He sighed and grabbed my hand. I hadn't anticipated it and almost pulled away, but he held on tightly.

"We have been trained longer than everyone else here, we have what to do ingrained into our brains, not to mention-" I squeezed his hand. "I will always be there for you Al, always."

"I know Mattie." He whispered. "I just wish I was enough to be there for you. I won't be able to help you if we get into a situation that is over our heads."

"You can do things Al, you know that. Think about what it was like before you came." His eyes flicked away and he shifted, his feet pointing towards the door.

"No, you need to remember!" I said and his eyes roamed back to me. "Think about how awful things were for me before you came. Do you think we would be here had you not have come? I know for sure I wouldn't be here."

"Don't say things like that Mattie." He whispered, "Please don't."

"I would be dead Alfred. I would be long dead and you know it." Alfred was silent, I couldn't read anything about him as he was laying flat on the bed; his eyes were closed and face expressionless.

"What are you thinking?" I whispered and he shook his head. "Alfred I hate not knowing, open your eyes." I pleaded and he gripped my hand more tightly.

"You beat our instructor in a fight that should have lasted more than a couple hours. He was the one who taught us everything and you beat him!" he opened his eyes quickly and grabbed my wrist pulling it towards him so he could look at the thickly wrapped bandages.

"You had to get stitches because you lost so much blood, that means you fought hard." He dropped my wrist and before I could do anything, grabbed the other wrist bringing it to his face as well.

"How are you after-?" He trailed a finger down my wrist and I almost shivered as his the pad of his finger rose and fell with the scars it passed over.

"I was fine, nothing…nothing happened Al. It went well." Alfred smiled slightly and nuzzled my hand chuckling a bit.

"I knew it. Mattie you are so strong, stronger than anyone else here. I knew you could do it." He stopped smiling and looked up at me before laying his head in my lap and playing with my hair. I refused to smile at the action.

"It really has been a long time hasn't it?" He asked and I nodded.

"Our first assignment is coming up." He whispered and I allowed myself to grimace. I hated the thought of Alfred out in the field, always in danger of being caught and the unthinkable happening. I knew if he were to go missing during this assignment I would not be allowed to go after him.

His eyes crinkled into a warm smile and he poked my cheek playfully.

"Hey, we are going to be alright. We have what to do ingrained into out brains remember? And besides." He smiled "I will always be there for you."

* * *

Hello! I got a pretty good response for this despite how little I am known on this site. I am really liking how this is going and I would like to be perfectly sure that even though they act like it a bit in this fic, _Matthew and Alfred are not together. _Nor will they ever be within this fic. I hope you like and review this chapter, it would mean a lot to me. Thanks for reading it anyway, luv ya. -Serenity Ma Sogni


	3. Chapter 3

"Ugh." Alfred shuddered and pushed his plate towards me, grimacing unashamedly.

"It is _tofu." _He seethed. "I hate tofu."

"Kiku would be quite hurt if he heard you say that." I chided before scraping the white clumps into my plate. It didn't look particularly edible but here they taught you that food was something essential and not always given. I remembered the test given when we had to go as long as we could without eating anything. Whoever lasted the longest got chocolate. Everyone had salivated heavily at the word.

Alfred and I had done the test many times in our years, as the challenge was presented to all years of development. Though the past year they had changed it a bit, you could eat, so long as no one caught you eating. We all took an oath to report who was caught eating and they would be eliminated from the opportunity of receiving any chocolate.

We would eat in secret; we would have to find food in secret. Pantry and Kitchen raids were always carefully planned out, jumps in camera feed were programmed and alliances were formed.

It was war.

Alfred and I had lost quickly when we were younger. I was too frail to not eat and he was just a fat ass who couldn't bare the emotional distress that came from not eating.

Though as the ones with the most experience we were the ones to win the chocolate this past year. Alfred to this day refuses to admit that he cried rather hard when he ate his chocolate with the piquancy overload. I was as equally reticent to reveal my reaction (which had been smiling wider than ever before and subsequently making the corners of my mouth hurt).

Alfred grumbled noncommittally as he watched me eat the tofu without showing how disgusted I was. His eye flickered to the door and I looked at his feet, which were now pointed towards the door. He leaned slightly towards the general direction of the door and looked back at me, his eyebrows rising minimally.

I nodded slightly, enough for him to understand but not others and he left the table with masked hurry, though I could see it.

People often wondered how we always 'knew what each other were thinking', but really it was all a matter of him being overly obvious with in his behaviour and knowing I would pick up on it.

Simple.

I wondered idly what he wanted to leave for; we usually left together in favour of arriving to class together. Then I remembered what today was and I felt myself go rather cold.

Today we would be learning our assignments. We would spend the next month preparing for the assignment, learning everything we needed to know in preparation for what was to come.

This meant that Alfred and I would be separated during the entire next month. We had almost never been separated before, as we had practically grown up together, now we would be separated till one of us were fired, or our client died.

I wondered why he why he wanted to leave so rapidly, it was because he wanted to see my assignment before I could see it. My heart sunk. He was going to be devastated by what he found, I just knew it.

I didn't know what my assignment was, and truthfully I didn't want to know what it was, but I was the top of the top. I was currently the best in the entire building and that meant I was going to be assigned the most deadly of all of the assignments.

I would most likely die unless I was truly lucky which was highly unlikely.

I watched my plate as I pushed around the white cubes of tofu. I was giving Alfred time to read the entire report on what I had to do, I was giving him time to go back to our room and get out the emotion that would have been building up as he read.

I would have liked to have come along with him, to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. Alfred hated to show tears, he found them as weakness in himself but not in others and he only ever cried in front of me. Now he was going to have to learn to deal with it on his own, because I wasn't going to be there for him when I was assigned. I wasn't going to be there for him.

The thought crushed me.

I looked at my posture, my feet were positioned much like Alfred's were before he left and I found myself wanting to go to Alfred, to stop him from reading the damn file and hide him away from the truth he was reading. Alfred really was too fragile.

I steeled myself and twined my fingers together tightly, pointing my feet ahead of me determinedly.

"Please don't tell me you ate what ever the hell is on that plate." The distinctly English voice trailed down, I had known he was there. I knew he was reading everything I had done.

I hated the fact I was so obvious.

"Why didn't you stop him?" He asked softly and I refused to look at him, I just knew the knowing green eyes would now be filled with sympathy.

"He needs to learn what it is to be without me there." I said simply and Arthur sighed, sitting down and pulling the tofu away from me.

"I can not argue with your reasoning Matthew." He said slowly. I could feel his gaze burning into the side of my head and I turned meeting it head on. The green eyes widened in surprise at my bold gaze.

"How bad is his assignment?" I asked and his large eyebrows furrowed as he thought.

"It isn't hardly bad, I could name a few who are worse off." His eyes trailed from my face and I knew he was recalling my assignment.

"That is all I need to know." I said and stood up, meeting Arthur's gaze again.

"You have been a good teacher." I said and he smiled bitterly.

"I am sorry to see you go Matthew."

* * *

I kind of feel like I have been neglecting you guys but I am alive! I swear that isn't the case! I am working on a lot of different projects for a lot of different pairings and fandoms, it is all quite overwhelming but I will keep posting chapters, I promise. I will never desert you guys so please keep following my stories!

I really love you guys for being so supportive and amazing in your reviews, in this fanfic and my others He Paints The Color Red, and About These Scars. I will be updating the latter soon, just give me some time, I have a lot on my plate.

Please keep reviewing and favoriting and following, I absolutely adore you guys and you make life more bearable for me. Thanks for everything! -Serenity Ma Sogni


	4. Chapter 4

Alfred looked up from the floor, his gaze lost and infuriated at the same time. My heart just about died at the sight.

We were trained to never show emotion when it wasn't necessary, I had never seen Alfred shed a tear, but here, now, they were streaming down his face as it twisted in a mask of pain and horrible sadness.

"No." He croaked out and tossed the folder down. "No!" He screeched and flew to his feat. His cheeks were flushed and his appearance was no longer composed. Snot dribbled from beneath his nose and his whole body shook, he glared at me with such passion I was sure he would throw a punch, but instead he just stood there, glaring at me.

"I will _not _let you do this." He rasped and clenched his hands into fists, only to let them loose again repeat the action again.

"_Fuck _this!" He snarled and stomped forward, holding me in a grip so strong it took everything I had not to either yell out or break his hand to release the bruising pressure.

He started dragging me towards the door and I grabbed his hand, stopping us.

I looked him in the eye and he howled in outrage at the gaze I fixed with curiosity and defiance, scolding him without words as he lost any composure he had.

"You aren't! No you can't!" He yelled and pulled me harder at the door, the grip was becoming excruciating and I was losing control. My arm from his fingers lower was already numb and I was itching to remove his hand. I tried pulling free as easily as I could but he made an animalistic grunt and clamped down harder.

Alfred was exceptionally strong, stronger than anyone else in our section and stronger than me, we both knew that if he tried hard enough he could break my arm easily, and any more pressure and I was sure that is exactly what would happen.

He was sputtering excuses and incoherent words his gaze fixed mainly on the door and sometimes at the open folder on the floor. This was so much more horrible than I expected. In every scenario I had imagined him leaving before I could see him. Alfred didn't usually want people to see his emotional outbursts. Nothing I had imagined my assignment being could have affected him this much. It must be truly horrible.

Finally as I felt Alfred's nails sink into my arm I couldn't bare it any longer, this pain was unnecessary and had gone on long enough. Alfred would be horrified by what he left behind.

"Alfred!" I yelled, a sharp snap of his name and he blinked in shock at me. It was more than he had ever really heard from me I was sure, but I had in turn never seen him act this way.

He let go of my arm quickly and I almost sighed in relief, I hid the pain I felt in every way I could. I fixed my arm to an angle that would not look to be held in an injured way or cradled and masked my eyes to hide the pain I was sure was raging within them. I forced my face into a mask of careful indifference, one that I usually never dropped and shifted away from Alfred while he looked at his hands in agony.

"I am sorry Mattie." He whispered. "Oh god I am so sorry!" He said a bit louder and he looked at me with tears in his eyes.

I didn't say anything, just turned away from him and picked up the discarded folder, ignoring the way he stiffened.

"Mattie." He said in warning, yet I opened the folder without hesitation, looking down into the eyes of Gilbert Beilschmidt.

I couldn't stop my eyes from widening, and my legs from becoming very weak.

Alfred caught me as I crumpled to the ground; he wrapped his arms around my shoulder and wept. I just stared ahead in utter shock.

I had never expected this, never.

Alfred was crying and whispering my name over and over; rocking us back and forth and I tried to come to terms with my assignment, only to fall back into the shock and now despair that gripped my heart.

Gilbert Beilschmidt had murdered more of our members than we could keep track of, yet he always sent for more. The only agents sent back were either half alive and horribly mangled, or psychologically scarred.

Though most of them died; either at his hand or trying to protect him.

In this agency we train to protect the lives of those who got to live. We were the ones who were saved, we were taken from orphanages, hospitals, prisons, and jails. We were trained in every known way to be able to protect and guard the life of those we were assigned to, if we failed this and our contractor died we were marked as a killer and thrown in prison, that or death.

Most chose death. The mark was horrendous, a dark burn singed into your cheek that never heals, a mark of death, destruction and ultimate failure. This mark is a death sentence in life, one of complete pain till the day you can finally take in your last breath.

It haunts you.

Gilbert rejected our members if they did not suit him; he was cruel and snide. He was considered one of the most dangerous men alive and also one of the most hunted.

By everyone.

He was a part of every group known, every list he was on, his name was printed in our textbooks as one to avoid at all costs, and those who were unlucky enough to meet him were usually granted a one way ticket to hell. That or god took pity on the poor bastard and decided to send him to heaven. But most likely hell.

If you were assigned to Gilbert you were on constant duty, you did not eat until he has eaten, and only after testing his food for poison. You did not sleep till he was asleep and still you had to wake up periodically to be sure he was still alive, yet you had to be on your toes and ready for anything to happen at any time.

The police were your enemies, the criminals were your enemies, and the civilians on the streets were as good as killers out to murder your charge. That was the life I was about to live.

Alfred shook, and I tried not to succumb to the instinct to do the same.

"You have to get re-assigned Mattie." Alfred whispered. "They usually send the ones with more experience, the older ones. Why didn't they send one of the others?"

"You know why," I said, and I was a little surprised by how calm my voice sounded. Alfred jerked and he looked at me in fear.

"Mattie! You aren't old enough! You haven't even been on the job before, they always send the adults. You aren't ready!"

"Not true and you know it." I said, and Alfred flinched, gazing at my eyes and not even trying to stop his tears.

"I am the only one they can send now. I am the best and they send the best." Did I normally sound this cold? Alfred's body language said not.

"He will kill you Mattie!" He whispered vehemently and clenched his hands.

"You are probably right." I said and he closed his eyes tightly, bringing his hands up now to clench in his blond hair.

"Read your assignment Alfred, I will be…" I didn't know where to go, I didn't know what to do.

"I am going to go to the gym." I said quietly before pulling away from him and moving out the door.

I walked on the pads of my feet and not another sound was heard.

* * *

Woohoo (I never think of anything but Sims sex whenever I hear that but whatever) Im listening to Paramour right now and i am super hyper and I hate my parents. I am angry right now so I decided to give up another chapter. Sorry for the long wait I suck and I hate myself so hopefully this will right the universe for you guys a little. none of the people I am following are updating much and I got sick of the silence.

I really like DracoxHarry, and I am now of PotterMore _Slytherin _muahaha my name is **SpellSeer1726 **so add me as a friend, i'm lonely. Check out He Paints The Color Red, and About These Scars if you get the chance. I haven't updated ATS in a while and I feel horrible about it, but hopefully I will be able to get my shit together with that story and update, but in my opinion it's pretty good. So read it.

Goodbye, have fun with your lives. (Who am I kidding? None of us have lives, we live on tumblr and fanfiction duh)

-Serenity Ma Sogni


	5. Chapter 5

People must have been informed of my assignment, as they avoided me as much as possible. Not that that was anything new, Alfred was my only confidant in the entire building.

But now people avoided my gaze, they shifted uncomfortably when I was in the same room, unlike before when they wouldn't even notice me.

It was extremely tiring.

I pushed open the door to the gym and almost sighed in relief, the room was empty. I glanced around the room, letting the different machines jump into my view and see which one I wanted to use.

The treadmill looked the most appealing, especially considering my assignment. I shuddered and wiped away the thought pertaining to that, the entire point of coming here was so I could lose myself in the workout.

I glanced out the long window that stretched across the side of the room, overlooking the pool below. That was also calling to me; the pool had always been a safe place for me to be, and I was a natural swimmer. I resigned myself to swimming later and walked to the treadmill, avoiding the other machines in my path.

I stepped to the sides of the walkway and pushed the buttons that turned the speed to the maximum setting. I wanted to forget everything and push myself to overexertion no matter how bad it was.

The walkway started moving quickly and I stepped on lightly, closing my eyes and letting my footfalls match the pace of the machine, feeling my calves burn in response.

I rose onto the pads of my feet and willed my footfalls to quiet, the only sound being the light slap of my feet hitting the walkway rather than the thundering footsteps.

Sweat ran down my face and I wiped it away, letting my breathing guide my thoughts into the exercise, pushing away the outside thoughts that assaulted my mind. I wouldn't let it get to me, I would remain calm and detached.

Alfred's face swam into my vision and I shook my head roughly, his words already sinking into my ears.

'Mattie he will kill you!' Like I didn't know that. I knew everything about how to stay alive and how to protect someone who needs to stay alive, but this man was a death sentence in itself, I was dead on my feet already.

The scars on my wrists burned suddenly and I pushed the thoughts away, focusing on the pain I knew my brain was tricking me into feeling. I didn't want to hurt anymore, I wanted to live.

But that was something I couldn't have wasn't it? Life, a life without pain and sorrow and heartache.

"Matthew-san." The voice was quiet and I almost didn't hear it, but I leapt away from the machine, my feet aching.

Kiku Honda stood before me with a calm, emotionless gaze dulling his brown eyes. He was several heads shorted than I, and ranked second in our class, next to me. If we added the teachers and older members he was ranked seventh, where I was first.

His eyes traveled down my body and his eyebrows rose a little when he saw my feet, which were now bloody and sore.

"Do you need medical attention?" He asked suddenly, his eyes flashing to my face and betraying the pity he felt for me as his eyes filled with momentary sadness before emptying into cold nothingness again.

"No thank you Kiku. I am fine." I said quietly and he nodded, his eyes flicking to the pool and over to me again.

"Would you like to swim with me?" He asked and looked at my feel again. "If you are able?"

"Yes I would Kiku." I said, and a small smile quirked at his lips. I was grateful to Kiku for being one of the braver ones. He was doing something I wished Alfred was doing, which was facing the situation exactly the same as I was trying to do. With complete indifference and pretending that it doesn't exist. But the throbbing in my feet was now a reminder of how I lost control.

Kiku turned and walked to the door that would lead to the stairs to the pool, knowing I would follow him. I took a moment to read his body language. His shoulders were straight and held tight to his body and his arms stayed steadily by his side. He didn't move a muscle until absolutely necessary and his steps were measured and light.

He was nervous, and stiff. He didn't want me reading his body language so he kept himself as unreadable as possible, which was pointless because it gave everything away about him. This was why he was ranked seventh I supposed.

We waked down the steps, his footfalls loud and refined and mine silent. I felt every step press upon the cuts on my feet, it hurt like crazy but not as much as my arm, which was still throbbing.

Once we reached the bottom both Kiku pulled off his long pants to reveal his swim trunks, but left his shirt on. I had heard he was unwilling to reveal his skin to people, apparently it was true.

I didn't have my swimwear with me but it didn't matter, my pants could easily work as swim trunks and I slipped off my shirt quickly.

I wasn't surprised to see the dark, almost black bruises in the shape of a handprint wrapped around my arm, and Kiku's eyes widened slightly at the sight of it but he composed himself quickly and stepped into the water.

"How long do you have left here?" He asked, his quiet voice echoing off of the pool walls eerily.

"I leave tomorrow." I answered and felt a small pang in my chest. This would be the first time I would leave this place and see the outside world. I suddenly felt extremely unprepared for what I might see.

There was a class for those who had never seen the outside world, those who were brought in as babies and never had the chance to see anything but the grey walls of the building.

I remember the first time I saw grass, and wondering how something so strange could be out there beyond the walls that kept us in.

I waded into the water after Kiku, and watched him move in the water, already starting his laps.

I shivered as I saw the blood be washed away from the wounds in my feet, carrying out into the water and dissolving into the clear liquid. The saltwater that filled the pool burned the cuts but I ignored it, focusing on the water around me.

I let the water enclose over my head as I ducked down and let myself float in it's depths, not a sound could reach me, nothing could touch me. I was suspended in time where nothing else existed but myself and my pain. It was nearly overwhelming.

I pushed upwards and started my laps, enjoying the cool feeling of the water sliding past me as I propelled though the water.

I could feel every time Kiku brushed past me in his speed and I wondered why he was doing this, he had never approached me before except once in battle. I had beat him within a minute. I hoped he wasn't bitter from the loss.

After a while I started to feel guilty. Alfred was probably drowning in self-loathing and I was the only one to convince him he would be alright. I was so worried about him and how he would progress in the future. Alfred, despite being so strong, was very fragile when it came to injustice and cruelty. He could be irrational and capricious when his friends were in danger.

That was both a very good thing when it came to his charge, or a bad thing, depending on his ability to function under the stress of the situation.

I slowed to a stop and pulled myself from the pool, letting myself catch my breath and watching Kiku till he realized I was no longer in the water. He pulled up after a few seconds, and looked around the pool, finally locating me and waiting in silence.

"I have to get back to my roommate." I said shortly and Kiku nodded in affirmation. I wrapped a spare towel around myself and grabbed my discarded clothes, moving to the staircase before Kiku stopped me.

When I turned his eyes were blank, but his whole demeanor changed, suddenly his upper lip was curled slightly and his eyebrows had shifted inwards only slightly. His shoulders had pushed outwards as if he were thrusting out his chest and I wondered why he was taking such a stance.

"About your assignment." He said in a passive voice-contradictory to his body language- and I stopped myself from flinching. His eyes flashed cruelly and he bared his teeth as he said his next words.

"I hope he kills you slowly."

* * *

ooo Kiku...I don't usually make him mean but whatever. I hope you like this chapter. Tell me what you think! I would love to hear from you and your thoughts about the story. Ask me anything!

If you haven't, please read my other two stories About These Scars and He Paints The Colour Red, which I have actually added a chapter to even though it is finished so check it out! I love you guys and you make my life amazing. I hope you have a great day. -Serenity


	6. Chapter 6

'I hope he kills you slowly.' The words buzzed in my head like bees, uncontrollably loud and painfully sharp. I walked back to the room I shared with Alfred, only pausing to look at our door. The door we shared.

I was never going to see this door again.

Memories of every time I walked through this door pushed at me, wanting to make an appearance but I shoved them away, along with any emotion that might have been buzzing around with the words Kiku had spoken.

I entered the room in a stoic state. I didn't acknowledge anything but my bed, the steps I took were painful but I had pushed the pain away long ago. I was used to it wasn't I? What was I expecting for my first assignment? A simple assassination of someone then to be returned back to this life, waiting for someone to request me to guard their lives?

Oh I was a pathetic mess; pitiful. I hated that I had to leave; I didn't want to accept it. I hated the fact that I had hurt Alfred so badly. I hated the fact that my hands were still shaking beyond my control.

I hated everything that I had come in contact with, because I would eventually end up leaving them.

Just like Alfred, and the door that had hidden such pain, I would someday leave the memories that haunted me too.

No one would ever know that Matthew ever existed, the boy who named himself with his only friend Alfred. No he was only Matthew, he had never been known as anything else. I was not Matthew Williams. I was simply Matthew.

Alfred F Jones didn't exist, only Alfred. The bouncy blond boy who had acted so erratically, the only one to ever make Matthew smile.

Had I reverted back to the boy who had never smiled? I felt like him, Matthew. Who was Matthew Williams? He died shaking in Alfred's arms after reading the words Gilbert Beilschmidt.

I died the minute I learned I was going to die, because I knew. I just knew that I was going to die alone. I wasn't up to par, I would never be good enough to keep Gilbert Beilschmidt safe before I was kicked away, shot like an animal.

I guess I was an animal now wasn't I? I was filthy, Matthew, disgusting; an animalistic waste of space made solely for the purpose of dying at the hand of the only person in the world who I needed.

But that wasn't true was it? I needed so much more, I needed Alfred, I needed the nurse who had stitched up my arm, I needed the door, and I needed the mask that would protect me from being anything but Matthew Williams.

I wasn't Matthew Williams anymore.

'I hope he kills you slowly.' Wasn't it painful to hear those words? I wanted to laugh bitterly, but I didn't. Who was it that wanted to laugh like that? Matthew certainly didn't.

Was it possible that I was still alive inside? Somewhere? In the black pit that was my soul, born to die, was there still the boy who had laughed behind the door, smiled without inhibition, the one who had named himself Matthew _Williams_. Had Matthew taken over once again?

I had no idea.

I laid carefully onto the mattress, I felt fragile now. No, I felt nothing. Who was it that felt fragile? Hadn't he died? Were the tremors that had slowly crept from my hands to my whole body, making me tremble violently against the tough material of my bed even my own emotion any more?

I felt like I needed to break. No, I didn't feel, I didn't want to bleed and scream and cry and live through the pain that plagued…who was it? Me? I? Myself? Was I even alive anymore?

No, I born to die, blackness inside, I wanted nothing more than to be Matthew. I wanted to be Matthew. Matthew was safe and blank and cruel. Cruel to myself. Cruel to Matthew Williams and Alfred F Jones.

Matthew Williams didn't die; Matthew Williams doesn't die till the memories die, and these memories will _never _fade. Because I was Matthew Williams, born again to prevent death, the one who laughed for the first time then promptly burst into tears at the novelty of it, the one who lived through the pain, wave after wave of pain and loneliness and I refused to die like that.

Matthew Williams was the one laying on the mattress, the one who felt the things like pain, fragility, the horrible throb of stitches, scraped feet, echoing footsteps that only reminded me of how alone I was because Matthew Williams was the one who felt and Matthew Williams was the one who could control it.

I was the one to bring silence to the halls, to make myself quiet; to work enough to not feel the pain I should feel but never neglect it. Matthew did that.

Matthew Williams was the one who could live and lie and protect, the Gilbert Beilschmidt because he- _I_ was Matthew Williams, Matthew, and very much _alive_.

~.~

Alfred came back to the room almost three hours after myself, and I was feeling refreshed from my newfound acceptance. Alfred looked like hell though, his eyes were sunken and terribly bloodshot, his blond hair lacked luster. It seemed to wilt in front of his eyes, turning from his sheen of natural gold to a dull light brown.

He walked with his shoulders tucked in tightly, his footsteps were small, his movements were staggered and convulsive. It was obvious he was suffering by the news, whether it was mine or his was the question.

"Alfred?" I called lightly and he jumped, he had been so in his head that he hadn't noticed me. His eyes dulled even more as he looked at me then jerked his gaze away, taking to staring at his bed instead. He looked so weak in such a drooped position, he had closed his eyes tightly and I knew he was holding back tears.

"I had never expected it to be this hard." He rasped, "I thought- I don't know I want more time! I don't want you to leave!"

His eyes shot open and he sprung to my bed, pinning me to the mattress in another crushing grip, I tried not to wince as his fingers wrapped around part of the hand shaped bruise had had already given me.

"When are you leaving?" He exclaimed, his eyes were wild and distrusting and I was momentarily speechless. I was afraid of what my voice would give away, be it the pain he was causing or the stress I was under from the question.

He would be destroyed by the fact I had to leave the very next day.

"Alfred you cannot be affected like this." I whispered and he flinched. "You knew this was going to happen, they told us about this everyday, there was no way you could not have known."

"Mattie, I also know what he does to our members! They spent so long telling us to avoid Gilbert Beilschmidt, he is a lunatic."

"Doesn't that make me much more prepared to deal with him then?" I asked and Alfred closed his eyes in grief.

"They prepared us well Alfred, I already know about every aspect of Mr. Beilschmidt's life, I know every single thing he does and will ever need done, I will try my hardest and hopefully, I will die old and honorably."

Alfred almost relaxed, his tight hands loosened around my arms a little and I pulled away, letting the blood rush back to my hands. There would be ugly, dark bruises in the shapes of hands going up and down my forearms.

"You never answered the question." Alfred whispered, his dull blue eyes locking into mine. I could see every red line that streaked Alfred's eyes, it was disturbing.

"Tomorrow." I said in return and his face crumpled again. His body collapsed down on top of mine and he shook as he had before, silent sobs wracked through him and I couldn't bring myself to cry, though I wanted to.

Alfred had loosed one of my hands in preference to wrapping it tightly around my stomach; the other hand had tightened like a handcuff. He fell asleep that way, and I stayed conscious for as long as I could. I wanted to be in Alfred's presence as long as possible, whether he was sleeping or not was not an issue.

Alfred was enough to bring light to a bleak sunless world.

.!.

I wrote this chapter to give you an idea of the horrible life Matthew had to face, to take a peek into the problems growing up in such a place had caused within him. If you didn't understand, he has almost two personalities, the face he wears for being outside, in class, in training, basically everywhere but behind the door with Alfred. This is his safe mask named 'Matthew'. I would like to this of 'Matthew' being a shell used to run away from all the pain of Mattie's past. Matthew Williams was the person Mattie would be if he weren't so different, a person who isn't robotic like his 'Matthew' ego. Matthew Williams was born when Alfred came, kindling the life Matthew had repressed within himself. I would like to think of Matthew Williams being the human Mattie would have been had Alfred had already been there. 'Matthew' was someone he had to be in order to survive from birth.

Thanks for reading, I hope you liked this chapter, please review it means a lot and is really inspiring.

-Serenity Ma Sogni


	7. Chapter 7

I woke up quickly and pulled away from Alfred's arms. There weren't any windows anywhere in the building but I knew it was early in the morning. I would be leaving in a couple hours.

Alfred frowned at the loss of warmth but at least he wasn't crying like before. I really didn't know what to expect from Alfred right now, especially since he is in such a fragile state. I had hoped this would all be easy, it was a foolish thought.

I took a quick shower and wasn't surprised to find Alfred still asleep when I stepped out, he could sleep through anything when he wasn't needed. I wondered how he was going to do with that once he was on assignment.

I sighed and looked away from him to my dresser, where I pulled one of the plain white tee shirts from the pile folded neatly there. The pants had more variety to choose from and I chose a sleek pair of black pants that were long, but didn't hinder my ability to move.

I grabbed my assignment file and read through it again. Everything listed I already knew, but reading through it now seemed to take the dangerous edge off of the situation.

Not that it wasn't any less dangerous, I wouldn't delude myself into thinking otherwise.

Going into an assignment filled with ignorance was one of the first ways to be killed. Paranoia was your friend in this situation.

I sat on my bed and checked my watch for the first time. Seeing that I only had two hours left, I pulled myself away from my bed and walked out our door, making my way to our weapons area. There were a lot of different weapons different people liked to use: Kiku liked swords, Alfred used whatever he had on hand, standard equipment, but I could tell he liked to use guns.

I always kept at least two guns at all times in practice. I was smaller than most of my opponents and eliminating enemies at a long distance was easier and less messy.

My favourite tool to use though was crafty and hard to manipulate, but deadly and extremely useful. It was a sort of coil, thin and long and razor sharp. I could attach it to walls and people if I used it wrong I could end up seriously injuring others and myself. Fatally.

I was one of the few that could use it.

I fingered the device mindlessly, drawing back at little when I felt the silvery wire cut into the tip of my finger, before strapping it onto my wrist.

I walked to the other side of the room and grimaced at the long wall covered in different kinds of guns. Some of them gleamed in the dim light while others hid like shadows; all were tools for killers.

The weight of the guns I chose felt abnormally heavy in my hands, and I strapped them in on obscure places around my body. I had gotten used to the feel of the guns being there, the cold metal that pressed against my skin was almost welcomed. These were what would keep me alive.

I heard the door to our room slam in the distance, letting me know Alfred was awake and looking for me. His frantic footfalls slapped against the floor as he raced past the door that separated me and him.

I wondered if it would be good if I left without saying goodbye to him. He would try to stop me, I knew it. I knew he would do something irrational and stupid. I wished he could just let me go.

"Right." I didn't jump at the voice, but I was surprised by it, I hadn't heard anyone enter. I hoped he wasn't there the entire time.

"You are ready then?" Arthur stepped forward into the light with a slight grimace; his green eyes glittered with a kind of sadness. I was almost comforted that he was showing me such emotion, but then again- it was unnerving and unnatural. I wished he would stop.

"You will take care of him won't you?" I asked, and the British man's eyes flickered to the door that led to the hallway, where Alfred was still searching for me.

"He is going to me monitored on his assignment." He replied softly, "he isn't quite ready to be on his own yet."

"So his is a test?"

He nodded slowly and pressed his lips together.

"I wish I could say the same for your assignment, but yours is very real Matthew. I am sure you know this already." His eyes flickered over to the shelf where my coil used to be and he raised his thick eyebrows.

"You are taking the coil then? Good, I was hoping that thing would be taken away before some other fool who believes they can master the technique gets themselves kills themselves." He paused. "You are one of the only ones who can use it. The last time I tried I received quite the scar, use it well."

He averted his eyes and let a shadow fall over it and I let my eyes wander to my watch. I had five minutes.

"Time for me to go eh?" I tried to smile but it didn't exactly work. The Brit looked to his own watch and grimaced again.

"How many guns are you carrying?" He asked quickly and I was reminded of the heavy weights that were hidden against me.

"Four." I responded. "Handguns."

He nodded in approval and looked me over before walking forward and brushing my long hair away from my face.

"Don't die in vain Matthew." He said quietly before looking me in the eyes. "We will take care of Alfred, focus on your skills and use what you have been taught, he will try to trick you, don't give him anything to use against you, and for god's sake _please_ don't die in vain."

He stepped away and both our watches beeped, indicating my time to go. Arthur sucked in a breath and turned quickly towards the door, and I followed.

We walked in silence, our footsteps were inaudible, our breaths a whispered in the air. I- for once- felt excitement and fear shoot into my veins as I followed the shorter man. His shoulders were set and he walked with confidence, his steps were small and determined. That was just the man Arthur was.

We made twists and turns and I kept track of where we were with my mental map of the place, I knew where we were going.

He stopped in front of a large dark blue double door then pushed it open to reveal the helicopter pad, the blades were already twirling in the air, making my air blow back away from my face.

Arthur's short blond hair tossed around in the wind erratically and he grasped my arm in a tight grip, squeezing once before leading me to the door on the side of the copter. He didn't say another word to me but opened the door and helped me strap myself into the chair and adjusting the headphones atop my head.

He gave the pilot a quick salute before leaping from the craft and watching as the helicopter rose into the air, taking me away.


	8. Chapter 8

The helicopter ride was long and calming, I tried watching outside the window but all I could see was the ocean. I had never seen the ocean before so it was pretty interesting to watch for the first half hour, but now I entertained myself with preparing myself mentally and going over what Arthur had told me.

That, and feeling horrible about deserting Alfred. It was like a punch to the heart, I hated it. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't get him out of my head, I hated the fact that I had to leave him and I couldn't help myself from imagining what he would do when he heard I had left him behind without a goodbye.

Surprisingly though, I didn't miss him that much. Alfred had always been there for me since we were children, he had come into my life at the perfect time and had stayed in my heart since, but it was almost like leaving behind something that shouldn't have been there.

Alfred loved me like a brother, and I loved him like a brother, but I knew he was _not _my brother. I wasn't too sure that he knew that fact.

We had passed the ocean a while ago, and now we were flying over land, but really there wasn't much to see. There were cars driving on streets and on highways, buildings climbed into the sky and large patches were covered in green plants, ready to be harvested. Life was going on yet nothing was quite interesting.

Alfred would have been ecstatic, looking around the helicopter and out the windows, gasping in awe at the simplest things.

We hadn't seen these things, obviously, but we had been taught about them and it honestly wasn't that new.

It didn't change the fact that he would be just like a child, wanting to touch everything and tell me about it. I almost smiled at the scene that I imagined; it was so typically Alfred. He hadn't belonged in this half-life, and he hadn't chosen it, nor did I, but he belonged outside, living life and finding someone to share his eccentricities with who would appreciate it.

I had run this over in my head so many times, the unfairness in Alfred's case. I had submitted to the will of the agency so long ago I hardly knew what I myself was like. I only knew what I had to be; most other agents were the same, but not Alfred. He would never be broken by such things.

Broken. I almost laughed as I stared at the window, noting we were slowing down. It was a funny word to use when taking of people, broken things could be fixed but really, could humans who were broken be fixed again?

I doubted it.

"We are almost here." The low voice rumbled in the headphones and I nodded so he knew I heard him. The helicopter lowered towards the ground and I noticed the large expanse of land enclosed in a high gate, a large mansion in the centre of it. The yard was perfection and landscaped expertly, the house gleamed with acknowledged wealth, almost blatantly expressing how much it must have cost.

Men emerged from the house professionally and circled the copter. I could tell where each guard had a gun and also a stun gun, they all had earpieces, and some were talking into them.

They looked pretty good, not men from our agency of course, had they have been the earpieces would not have been necessary; each agent was trained to know hand signals. Lips were so easily read.

"The newcomer is here." One said into his earpiece and several others nodded subconsciously, so some were more experienced than others. That probably wasn't a good thing. If there were gaps in security expertise it would be harder on my job.

The blades of the copter slowed to a stop and I unhooked myself from my seat, and pulled the earphones from my head. The pilot looked back and gave me a thumbs up and I opened the door.

Some of the men shifted uncomfortably and some glanced at others. One of the men mouthed into the earpiece. "Why do we need this guy again? We are doing fine on our own."

I looked around the circle and another agent caught my eye. "Jesus look how scrawny this guy is, we could beat him in a second. How is he supposed to keep Mr. Beilschmidt safe?"

I hopped from the Helicopter and one of the agents stepped forward. He was obviously one of the most experienced ones here, he was a smaller amount older and walked with a secure step, he hadn't expressed any kind of surprise at my appearance and hadn't responded to the men's remarks in his earpiece.

"Welcome to the Manor. We will be showing you to Mr. Beilschmidt after checking your credentials." He looked me in the eye and indicated I follow him closer to the house. The agents moved with us, some of them were talking into their earpieces and others weren't, just watching me with wary eyes.

Wondered what they had heard about me, as some eyes were resentful and some a tiny bit fearful.

"You look different than we expected." The older man commented lightly and I nodded, looking up to the large house and counting the windows on the front.

I counted twenty six, and the Agent turned, eyeing me thoughtfully.

"Are you armed?" He asked, and I internally quirked an eyebrow. Was this a trick?

"Yes." I replied and he nodded thoughtfully.

"Do you have your credentials?" he asked and I pressed my lips together. They hold told us to do this when asked for proof of our involvement but it was something I still didn't enjoy doing.

I pulled my shirt down over my shoulder and revealed the large intricate tattoo that was etched into my skin. It covered almost the entirety of my shoulder and was all black, when you looked closely you could see that each line of black ink was actually words, the vow we had to memorize and take upon entry into the agency. When looked at it looked like a very complex and thick spiders web, in the middle was the very obvious scar from a bullet.

The man looked at my shoulder in slight shock and the others in less thinly veiled shock and disgust. Where some thought the tattoo to be quite beautiful, there were others that found the markings quite appalling.

"This is the only identification I need, I don't have an ID or papers." I said, and the man nodded silently. They had to have been warned of this beforehand, but even seeing it was sometimes a shock.

"You can come with us then." He said a little more quietly and entered his code into a complicated lock, to open the door. Two more of the guards that had been standing at the door entered their own codes and the heavy lock clicked away audibly.

"There are three codes necessary, each guard here has a code, Mr. Beilschmidt has a master code that will immediately unlock the door. You will be receiving a code at the end of the day from Mr. Beilschmidt." He said professionally and pulled the door open.

"There are a total of sixty seven guards currently positioned around the house including the ones that have escorted you from the helicopter. Each of us has an earpiece that allows us to communicate with each other, and it is on a very secure line. We have communications room on the fourth floor, which is the controls and monitors for all cellular devices, and landlines that are active in the house."

We walked a little ways and passed a large staircase that led to the second story of the house. There was also an elevator that required the codes that led to all levels. He explained that in the time of attack (it had happened before) all elevators would be shut down, and in the case that the attacker was in an elevator, poisonous gasses could be dispensed in any and all rooms, only with Gilbert's master code though.

There were seven safe rooms and several hidden passages hidden throughout the house, the blueprints of the house had been included with my assignment information and I had memorized where they were and how to get into them.

The entire house was a fortress, designed for two purposes only: the comfort and safety of Mr. Beilschmidt himself.

A few of the men split off down the halls, walking in pairs and conversing in low voices, till all that was left was the man who explained everything to me and one other, who looked quite bothered. And familiar.

"Feliciano?" I said hesitantly and the other's head snapped to look at me sharply.

"What did you just call me fucker?" He glared and I could see the older man look between us hesitantly.

"Um, this is Lovino Vargas, the man you will be rooming with." He said, and looked at Lovino again. Despite my previous observation of him being the most experienced and dominant in the group, he seemed more than a little intimidated by the much younger agent who was still glaring at me with ferocity.

"My mistake." I said softly, but his scowl didn't seem to lessen at my attempt at placation. "I thought you were someone else."

I watched Lovino carefully, watching for anything that would clue me in to Lovino's character. Obviously he was dangerous, and quick to get angry and agitated, he looked exactly like Feliciano from the agency. I was surprised to find that he had the same tick Feliciano had.

When Feliciano was happy the corners of his mouth would twitch before he would smile brightly, with Lovino, the corners of his mouth would twitch when he was less angry.

"How do you know Feliciano shitbag?" I paid no mind to the insult, only the question; though it was unprofessional I reasoned it was something he was in the habit of. Lovino wasn't angry, he was curious.

"The agency." I said simply and Lovino nodded. I was glad he hadn't said anything, most details about the agency was pretty obscure, people who had family members involved often knew more, and I was pretty sure I knew how Lovino knew Feliciano.

"Ah-" The other man cut in awkwardly, "you guys will be rooming together for the time you will be in the house. You will travel with Mr. Beilschmidt on any trips he goes on and a room will be pro-"

"Yeah yeah- he gets it already." Lovino cut in and glared at the man in annoyance before turning to me. "Lets go fucktard." He exclaimed before turning on his heel and walking in the other direction without hesitation. I quickly added this to my list to analyze about my new roommate and started off after the other man, noting that the agent we left behind had sighed in resignation and annoyance at Lovino's behaviour.

I caught up with Lovino and he glared ahead at the hall as he directed me and I waited for him in silence. After a few minutes, he asked the question I knew he was going to ask.

"How is he doing in there?" He asked in a subdued tone then picked at his shirt with absent nervousness. I noted his behaviour and moved on to answer his question.

"He is learning a lot, I would say he is going to get his first assignment in a few years." Lovino grimaced but kept walking, covering his grimace with a deep scowl.

"Hasn't he been there for enough fucking time?" He growled out and I saw his jaw work as he ground his teeth. Added to his list of ticks.

"I wouldn't say five years is enough for what he is there for." I remarked and Lovino's lips twitched in anger.

"He shouldn't even have to go to that place." He ground out and I almost nodded in agreement. Out of the many people that had been admitted into the agency Feliciano was one of the most ill suited candidates, but that didn't mean he wasn't welcomed. Feliciano was, at times, one of the only lights in the entire building, as he was always confident and joyous. When you got Feli angry you knew you did something wrong and that was really the only time he could be properly feared.

I could never imagine him on an assignment, I couldn't watch him fire a gun, and I hated the fact that he was learning how to kill a person. Almost as much as I hated the same situation had caught Alfred.

At least Feliciano had been admitted when he was older; Alfred and I had no chance to live.

"I agree." I stated and Lovino's posture became a little less tense than before, a good indication for when he wasn't mad. I wasn't too sure anyone else had learned to tell this determining fact; if they had they might not be as afraid of him.

We turned several more corners in silence until we reached an elevator, where Lovino typed in his code and another before we could go to another level.

"My other roommate was killed in an attack, the dumbass." Lovino explained, "since we travel in pairs and most of the doors in this fucking place requires two codes to get in I have to use mine and my old roommates to get around until they find another poor fucker to take his place. You are rooming with me now of course; he will sleep somewhere else when he fucking gets here."

I nodded and he stared blatantly at me. I was almost five inches taller than him but his scrutinizing glare was so intense I almost felt myself stiffen in a natural reflex. I looked for the ticks that indicated he was angry but found none, and determined he was making his own assessment of me.

"You don't look anything like what we were expecting." Lovino threw the statement blatantly at me, and looked for a reaction. I gave him none.

"Probably." I answered, wondering if it would make him agitated. Lovino turned slightly red and huffed before glaring at me.

"You are too thin and you look like a girl." I eyed him carefully and processed his words before answering.

"What are you trying to accomplish?" I asked and the elevator doors opened silently, we walked out and I noticed his face turning an even brighter red. It was interesting though, I wasn't used to being insulted or called a girl. Most people either didn't even notice me or avoided me; I was silent most of my life.

"Ass." I heard him mutter and I held back a grin. Lovino was an interesting person; it would be intriguing working with him.

We walked a ways before approaching a large set of double doors. Lovino entered his two codes and entered one last long code to open the doors, which gave another audible click as they unlocked.

Lovino pushed one of the doors open and entered before cursing and jumping to the side, giving me my first view of my charge…who was swinging a sword directly at my head.

* * *

Hey I haven't updated in a really long time and I am super sorry for that. I have had some really hard times that I needed to deal with before I could figure this out ;)

I hope you guys have been having fun in school, I sure as hell am.

Haha seriously though school sucks. Anyway! If you guys ever want to talk I am also on blahtherapy . com so you can talk to me at any time, also on Facebook, tumblr, figment, and Origin (all under the same name)and of course PMing here. Are you guys doing anything for Halloween? Any suggestions? Do you think I should dye my hair pink? What did you think of this update? SPEAK TO ME!

If you haven't already, PLEASE read He Paints The Colour Red, it is my first and only fanfiction ever finished and I want to get it to the first page of the PruCan favourites category (currently on 3rd) it means a lot to me.

Thanks for sticking with me for this long, i know I have made mistakes and am really trying hard to update as soon as possible, thank you. -Serena


	9. Chapter 9

I watched as Mr. Beilschmidt swung the glinting sword at my head and I swung back as it swished over my face, I could feel the air caressing my cheeks as it moved past.

Lovino was off to the side watching with wide eyes, this seemed like something not out of the ordinary for him.

Mr. Beilschmidt swung again and I stepped out of range of his swing easily. The man laughed a short bark of a laugh, pulled another sword from a scabbard at his hip, and tossed it to me.

I caught the sword just in time to parry his attack, the sound of metal hitting metal clanged through the air.

Gilbert smiled and attacked again with ferocity, and I parried each one and ignored the times I could have killed or maimed him. He needed to work on his skills with a sword.

His eyes glinted and I noticed how different they looked in real life than in comparison to pictures, they were alive with a red fire that seemed to crackle with mirth and wickedness.

His shock of white hair was what I noticed next. I had seen many pictures of him, but it was still something to admire, the shade was so pure. I stopped admiring his features to watch him and was a little startled to find that he was attacking with the intent to kill, that or seriously harm. I was a little confused about what he was trying to accomplish, but it was a little nice to practice with a sword again. I had been taught for so many years in the agency I could win with my eyes closed.

I watched his techniques for a little bit while he tried his best to harm me before I attacked for the first time since he first swung and ripped the blade away from his hand with the tip of my sword. We both watched the blade clatter to the marble flooring before it rolled on its rain guard and came to a stop, the edge glinting.

He looked at me in amusement when I kicked the blade away from him. I didn't want him to get any ideas, and I didn't know what this test was about, but I was reminded of Arthur's words, his warning me of him trying to trick me. I wasn't going to let him kill me so early in the assignment.

I was aware of Lovino, standing in the corner, watching me with serious and judging eyes sometimes flicking over to look at Mr. Beilschmidt.

"Well that was interesting. Lutz is fucking awful, you should spar with him sometime." He looked at Lovino and shrugged before walking to the side of the room where there sat an impressive desk cluttered with papers and different types of guns; behind it sat a throne like chair that he settled in, looking at me speculatively.

"You don't look like the others they sent, they were all old and stuffy looking." He pouted then leaned back in his chair.

"They told me you are the best they have seen in a long time, they protested heavily when I said I wanted you, but it wasn't like they could refuse." He scoffed arrogantly and smiled a crooked smile.

"West is usually the one that doesn't react to anything I say, almost every agent they send reacts in some way, but you are utterly inexpressive." He laughed. "I am going to enjoy breaking you!"

I heard Lovino shift in the background and it caught Mr. Beilschmidt's attention as his red eyes flicked over to where he stood.

"Does that make you uncomfortable Vargas?" He asked and grinned. "I wonder why." He whispered, and I wondered too, maybe Lovino had found some kind of kinship in me.

Mr. Beilschmidt cleared his throat and crossed his legs by throwing one leg over the other in an obvious fashion, he grinned at me and beckoned me closer.

"Show me your-" he paused and grinned "-credentials." He had to know that most of us where uncomfortable with showing our tattoos. He probably asked every agent that came to him to show them it.

I pulled down my shirt to reveal the tattoo that most of us hated, as it was a reminder of pain and a binding commitment.

Mr. Beilschmidt stared at my shoulder for longer than was completely necessary, the ever present grin fading from his face.

"Yours is different from the others." He said, almost to himself and I mentally winced. Every time that we achieved a higher status in the agency our tattoo got more complex, adding more of the dark black swirls that stained our shoulders. Mine was so much larger than others, but it still revolved around the bullet wound that had been inflicted so long ago.

"The bullet wound is deeper too, jesus what the hell is up with you Matthew Williams." Beilschmidt stood up quickly from his chair and glared intently at my shoulder before pursing his lips and narrowing his eyes.

"Take off your shirt." He commanded, and I refused to let myself freeze in tension. Showing him my shirt was one thing, showing him my scarred chest was something different all together. I had been growing up with weapons and learning to kill, to hurt and maim, my body was scarred and battered and unpleasant to look at. Even Alfred winced away when he saw me without a shirt on and his body was only slightly less horrific.

My charge waited and watched with intense eyes, before growing impatient at my silence and glaring.

"Are you going to do as I told you?" He snarled and Lovino shifted again.

I immediately pulled at the bottom of my shirt and tugged it over my head, blocking out the way Beilschmidt's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, Lovino's gasp could be heard just from looking at my back which was just as bad as the front.

"Bloody fucking hell what the fuck happened to you?" He almost yelled, and his eyes trailed down to the dark bruises around my arm that I had covered before.

His eyes shifted back to mine and he walked back around the desk towards me. He was almost as tall as me, which was saying something because I was pretty tall, he inspected me and I stood stalk still, not letting myself fidget at all as his eyes took in every scar I had on my chest and back, he circled me like I was some kind of animal. I hated being looked at.

"Sir, can I leave?" Lovino called and looked at the door with blatant longing. Or maybe I was overanalyzing his expressions. I was incredibly out of place in this and I was beginning to feel too exposed for my liking.

Mr. Beilschmidt nodded jerkily and Lovino bolted out the door, closing it behind him quickly. The locks clicked into place and my charge turned back to me, his eyes glinting again.

"And then there were two." He said quietly, and took a step forward.

* * *

Sorry it is a short chapter, but if you have read my writing before, my chapters are short but there are many. I hope you guys will read He Paints The Colour Red, it is super important to me and it is still on the third page ;(

I really appreciate reviews and they inspire me to write more, and when I am feeling down I can read them and feel better ;) so please review it would be nice.

I hope you all have a nice day, ask questions if you want, make predictions, feel free to ask me anything at all or tell me anything you wish. I love all of you with all of my heart. You can find and talk to me on Facebook, blahtherapy, figment, and tumblr, all under the same name. Thank you for reading -Serenity


	10. Chapter 10

"And then there were two." He said quietly, and took a step forward. And there was a loud beeping that halted him mid step and he scowled at the door.

"Fuck." He muttered and glared at the door then me.

"Put on your shirt, I want you to stand by the desk before he walks in." He said quickly and I put my shirt immediately on, the systematic beeping encouraging me to move faster as I almost sprinted to the side of the large desk, I fixed my gaze to the opposite wall and stayed completely focused on the door and the person who was going to enter, though I wasn't looking at them.

The beeping stopped and the door clicked open, revealing a large man in an expensive looking business suit, his bright blond hair slicked back and shiny. He looked at Gilbert first, and nothing in his demeanor changed, he never faltered and never glanced at me, but I noticed the dangerous glint that both he and my charge shared. This was Ludwig Beilschmidt, Mr. Beilschmidt's brother.

The man's icy blue eyes swept around the room, specifically avoiding looking at me for whichever purpose he had, maybe he thought of me as something lower than him that should not grace his sight?

Surely he could have better reasoning than that.

I could see the small and almost shapeless bulge on his hip that was his gun and I checked everywhere else on him for any other weapons he might have concealed.

As he completed his slow and silent walk from the door to the desk I had determined that he had a knife under one sleeve (which he wasn't very comfortable with), a gun attached to his leg, he was wearing an almost non existent earpiece which I took into play as I shifted so that I would block any kind of sniper attacks from the window, and I couldn't be sure, but I was almost positive he had something attached to the bottom of his shoe.

"Well?" The blond said, his voice carried in the room well, he was strong and confident in himself and his abilities. He walked with a determined stride, with purpose and intent. I wondered if he always walked like that or he had something in mind he wanted to accomplish. He and my charge started conversing, it wasn't about me so I didn't pay attention as I was ready for anything; I could feel my muscles tense as he came close to my charge.

I waited for anything that might tip me off that he could or would do something. The gun at his hip was most likely the weapon he would go for and I narrowed my eyes slightly, watching him for ticks that would tip me off.

The moment he fidgeted with his ring I was moving. Both of them didn't hear me move and I didn't want them to, as I watched him draw his gun from his hip. Before he could even get the gun up to point it at his brother I had buried the barrel of my gun into his ribs. I could feel it pressing into his skin when he sucked in a quick breath of surprise.

I didn't spare a glance at my charge as I was watching the man in front of me, looking for any sign of fear that would have ignited in the eyes and body language of anyone else, even if they could hide it well they couldn't hide everything, but this man showed nothing, not a glimmer of fear in his eyes, only a brief glimpse of something I thought might have been admiration but I disregarded it quickly.

"Should I shoot or is this another one of your tests?" I said quietly, but I knew both of them could hear me. The room was dead silent.

Beilschmidt sucked in a breath and grinned, leaning over on his desk lazily and winking at his brother.

"Told ya' he was supposed to be good; did you even see him move?" He laughed and settled in his throne again eyeing us with mirth.

"Brother, would you please tell him to get his gun out of my ribs?" The man asked tersely, and Mr. Beilschmidt laughed.

"I want to see how he handles it." He said and watched me.

I turned my attention to the fake attacker and made sure I had accounted for all of his devices and weapons before taking a step back from him with my gun still raised.

"Put on the safety on your gun then place it on the ground, along with the knife in your sleeve, the gun on your leg, and the earpiece, say nothing." I instructed, and the other Beilschmidt's pale eyebrows rose minutely.

He clicked on the safety on his gun then placed it carefully on the ground, then let the knife slip from his sleeve into his fingers and I tensed, ready to spring in any direction if the need be, but he let it drop as well. He took the other, smaller gun from his leg and clicked on the safety before letting it drop as well. Finally he reached up to his ear with a slow hand and removed the earpiece carefully, taking the tiny thing and placing it on the gun so he could locate it later.

The entire exchange was in silence, only to be broken by a cackle from Mr. Beilschmidt.

"You have got to be shitting me." He laughed. "The knife I can get, it was pretty obvious, but the others? How the hell did you know he had the ear piece?" He exclaimed his bright eyes searched me as if my looks would tell him something.

"I watched him." I said simply and both men stared at me. I hated it when people did that.

"You have gum on the bottom of your shoe." I added and the man blinked in surprise before lifting his shoe and examining the pink substance attached to the bottom of it. It was too bad; they looked like expensive shoes.

"I think it is fair to say he has proved himself." The younger Beilschmidt said boldly and I stepped back to the place my charge had indicated at the end of his desk. They were looking at each other now, one with cold indifference and the other with crackling amusement.

I wondered if Mr. Beilschmidt was always like this, taking pleasure from messing with others, testing them and seeing the outcome.

I determined that I had quite the assignment ahead of me.

* * *

Hey guys, just thought I would post a short chapter for you all in celebration of completing the PSATs. Does anyone else ship the translator and the business guy? I sure do.

I hope you like this chapter though it is kind of short. I would really appreciate it if you guys would write at least a short review! If you have followed my other stories you should know I almost always respond ;)

PLEASE READ HE PAINTS THE COLOR RED IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME AND I WANT TO GET IT ONTO THE SECOND PAGE OF FAVOURITES!

I really love writing for you guys, it is really the only thing that keeps me sane. Talk to me okay? Love you guys –Serenity


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